Judi Rever: Rwanda, Congo, Burundi, and Politically Protected Violence

Investigative journalist Judi Rever joins us to discuss her work on Rwanda, Congo, and the Great Lakes region. Drawing from her books *In Praise of Blood: The Crimes of the Rwandan Patriotic Front* and *Rwanda’s 30-Year Assault on Congo: The Crimes, the Criminals and the Cover-Up*, Rever examines contested histories of violence, regional war, impunity, and international complicity. The conversation also reflects on her career investigating politically protected violence and the risks involved in pursuing difficult historical truths.Judi Rever’s new book, *Rwanda’s 30-Year Assault on Congo*:https://www.barakabooks.com/catalogue/rwandas-30-year-assault-on-congo/References on African Rights and the construction of the post-1994 Rwanda narrative:https://www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/2016/10/04/rwanda-the-danger-of-a-sanitized-narrative/https://www.jstor.org/stable/24738036Timestamps:00:00:00 Opening00:01:59 Introduction: Judi Rever and the Great Lakes Region00:02:28 Rwanda, Burundi, Congo, and the Regional Conflict00:08:55 Rethinking the Rwandan Genocide Narrative00:16:25 How Rever First Questioned the Post-1994 Rwanda Story00:25:13 Why RPF Crimes Were Not Acknowledged Internationally00:31:33 U.S. Interests, Kagame, and Congo’s Minerals00:38:05 Impunity and Diplomatic Protection for Kagame00:43:49 RPF Military Strategy and Bait-and-Kill Operations00:50:29 Mass Graves, Victim Categories, and Historical Memory00:57:24 Victoire Ingabire and Political Repression in Rwanda01:04:20 RPF Insiders, Sources, and the Risks of Speaking01:11:59 When the Risks of the Investigation Became Personal01:17:45 Advice for Scholars and Journalists Investigating Atrocity01:22:01 Justice and Accountability for Congo01:24:50 Public Response, Safety, and Continuing the Work01:30:37 Closing01:30:48 Outro